1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transfer apparatus, and in particular, relates to a transfer apparatus which transfers an image to a card-shaped recording medium.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, there has been widely known a transfer apparatus which transfers an image (mirror image) formed on a transfer film to a card using a heat roller (HR). In general, in such a transfer apparatus, a configuration in which a transfer film and a card are conveyed simultaneously (at the same speed) while a face of the transfer film at the opposite side of a transfer layer is pressed by a heat roller is adopted.
In such a transfer apparatus, transfer processing is performed by applying heat to the card and the transfer film with the heat roller to transfer the transfer layer of the transfer film to the card, and peeling the transfer film from the card. Then, a curl occurs with contraction of the transfer film as the transferred card and the transfer film get cooled. Accordingly, the transfer apparatus includes a decurl mechanism to correct a curl of the card and decurl processing is performed to correct a curl of the card using the decurl mechanism after an image is transferred to the card.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2011-136783 discloses a technology to perform decurl processing on a card by pressing down a decurl unit (pressing member) for a time set by a user after conveying the card to a decurl mechanism and stopping the card at a central arrival point. In this technology, as illustrated in FIG. 12, a curl of a card, where the card has an image transferred on one face (lower face in FIG. 12) side, is corrected (removed) by pressing the other face (upper face in FIG. 12) side of the card having a curl with a pressing member configuring the decurl mechanism for a predetermined time. Then, the card is rotated by 180 degrees (i.e., faces are reversed) and an image is transferred to the other face (lower face in FIG. 12) side, and then, the one face (upper face in FIG. 12) side having a curl is pressed for a predetermined time by the pressing member. Thus the curl is corrected. According to the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2011-136783, a card with excellent handling and good-looking is provided by correcting a curl of the card with a decurl unit for each time after transfer processing is performed.
Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2008-080682, transfer processing is performed for a plurality of times on one face of a card with a transfer apparatus which transfers an image formed on a transfer film to the card using a heat roller.